Sam Singh laughs when I tell him his idea’s a little crazy. Yet his points line up nicely as he pitches a life-size Wolverine statue, which he hopes to have nestled into Fort McMurray — a long-clawed tribute to northern resilience.

Tuesday night, at PechaKucha, he did the same.

“After the wildfire in Fort McMurray,” he explains, “like most Albertans I wanted to think of something to do that could contribute to the community. After the economy collapsed and with the wildfire, it really felt like Fort McMurray got a kick in the teeth.”

Singh, who works for EndPovertyEdmonton, notes, “I like to do things creatively and try new things that build community.”

The 40-year-old reached out to Brian LaBelle, who petitioned for a Wolverine statue in Edmonton a few years back.

Says Singh, “I thought about how the Wolverine statue idea got some traction here in Edmonton … but to be honest, I think the reason it didn’t fly is Edmonton isn’t really northern Alberta.”

First appearing in the pages of The Incredible Hulk back in 1974, the clawed and ferocious Marvel character has become a global icon, portrayed by Hugh Jackman in nine of the 10 Hollywood X-Men films.

An anti-hero with a scarred sense of justice, Wolverine’s Tinder profile might include that he’s got an almost indestructible Adamantium skeleton and remarkably fast healing powers. One can see how Singh might draw a few positive metaphors out of the character.

Wolverine, a long-lived mutant, was also born in northern Alberta in the late 1880s.

“Our family has some property up in Fort McMurray,” says Singh, “and the last time I went I saw there actually is a Wolverine Drive in the city. At the foot of it is a park — so it could be perfect.”

Asked if Wolverine had an impact on him growing up, Singh laughs,“I’m more of a Batman guy.”

But as a symbol Wolverine fits much better than a billionaire orphan who beats up mentally ill circus freaks, and Singh and LaBelle have put together a crowdfunding campaign for the statue, hoping to raise $85,000.

“What really inspired me was that in Detroit, they just crowdfunded the statue of Robocop.” We also note the Rocky Balboa statue in Philadelphia, the Superman monument in Metropolis, Ill., and a Captain America in Brooklyn.

Back to Robocop, “In terms of copyright, (the crowdfunders) contacted MGM Studios, and they said as long as it was a non-profit initiative and no one was financially benefiting from it, they’re OK with it.”

Singh hasn’t gotten in touch with Disney yet, who owns the Marvel licences. “My thinking is it’s better to beg for forgiveness, then ask for permission. My hope is we can raise the money first, then go to Marvel and Disney and make the case. The campaign is now live on Indiegogo.

“Yes, he’s from there, but there’s also the goodwill aspect. Fort McMurray is the economic engine of the province, but it’s seen some hard times. Here’s a great way to make not only a pop culture statement, but reach out to a community who could use some encouragement.”

This spring, Singh met with Arts Council Wood Buffalo. This included a conversation about the recent, hyper-violent final chapter for Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine, Logan.

“The Wolverine we want to try and emulate is the one that’s in the kids’ cartoons,” says Singh, favouring the original yellow costume.

“He’s not a huge guy like a lot of superheroes, maybe 5-foot-6, but something life-sized. It has to be designed so kids can play around it and not lose an eye. Something you can slip into a sports jersey whenever there’s an Alberta team in the playoffs.”